ArcaMax

This is one birthday cake guaranteed to please. It's huge, shaped like a zebra, complete with the distinctive stripes. Only this cake was made to please a lion cub rather than a human child so it was fashioned from raw meat.

Welcome to the state-of-the-art Animal Care Center at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida -- a unique 16,000-square-foot facility opened a little more than two years ago where visitors can watch how the park's veterinarians take care of the animals that live here, from preparing special treats to X-rays and surgeries performed behind huge glass windows. A camera connected to the clinical laboratory's microscope allows guests to see what the staff looking into the microscope sees.

You might see a surgery on a bald eagle's broken wing or observe a gibbon's wellness check-up. During the procedures, the zoo educators talk about what is taking place and afterward the vets will get on the microphone and explain what was done, what they found and what the next steps will be.

"Kids are fascinated. They come right up to the glass to watch," said Dr. Dominique Keller, one of the park's senior veterinarians. "Absolutely there are some future vets here. The kids ask more questions than the adults."

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that SeaWorld Entertainment, Busch Gardens' parent company, has been taking tremendous flack for SeaWorld's killer whale program through a documentary and huge social media-driven campaign. But I think it is also important to recognize that this company is a global leader in animal care conservation. It donates more than $50 million to conservation, wildlife rescue and environmental initiatives and operates one of the most respected animal rescue and rehabilitation programs in the country. The Animal Care Center is part of those ongoing efforts.

When I visited one day recently, a group of summer campers -- Busch Gardens runs many camps, including week-long overnight camps -- were busy creating "enrichment" toys and boxes for some of the animals in the center's big nutrition kitchen, using pine cones, scented strips of paper, honey, paper towel tubes and more. "It's really fun," said 9-year-old Haley. "I got to feed an armadillo!"

There's no charge to watch the procedures here, though there are special 75-minute behind-the-scenes tours ($29) that give you the chance for a more hands-on experience. (A tip from Dr. Keller: More of the procedures are scheduled in the morning so stop by as soon as you come to the park.)

Certainly Busch Gardens has its share of shows (Iceploration is the popular ice show and everyone loves Critter Castaways with dogs, cats, even doves performing tricks), world-class coasters -- the Cheetah Hunt, the about to open Falcon's Fury (the tallest freestanding drop tower in North America at 335 feet) and the wooden coaster Gwazi among them -- as well as a "Sesame Street" Safari of Fun area for the youngest park goers. But what sets this park apart, of course, is the chance to get up close to so many exotic animals -- more than 12,000, representing 307 species.

(TIP: Be mindful of the heat and sun in summer. Come with reusable water bottles and hats. Look for the "Select Your Day, Select Your Savings" ticket that offers savings up to $30, if you purchase before you visit. Save more if you buy a combined ticket to Busch Gardens and SeaWorld Orlando. If you plan to visit other Tampa Bay attractions, consider the new Tampa Bay CityPASS, which gives you entrance to five area attractions for $119 ($99 for kids 3 to 9), not much more than the $95 admission ($90 for kids to Busch Gardens).

Check out the four-acre Jungala area, complete with a three-story maze of nets and rope bridges and Jambo Junction where kids can meet some animals and learn a lesson or two about conservation. Are you ready to join the flamingos on parade?

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